Complete Idiots Guide to the 2012 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament

Beginning Thursday, the Big Ten's 12 teams will battle it out on the court of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN for the right to represent the Big Ten as the conference's automatic NCAA tournament participant. For teams like Ohio State and Penn State, this tournament represents the opportunity to play their way into a No. 2, and possibly a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tourney. For teams like Indiana, it offers a chance to lose again in conference play--wait, that was a low blow--I mean it offers them the chance to make the NCAA tourney! Okay, well, anyway, this is your primer. I've grouped the teams into Favorites, Ehh, You got a Shot!, Wildcards and Hey, Thanks for Making the Trip!, for your reading enjoyment. Here we go:

Favorites:

Penn State: 23-5, No. 1 seed

Summary: The key for Penn State is balance. Four players average double digit scoring, led by Maggie Lucas' 19.3 points per game (3rd in conference). They are second in the Big Ten is scoring as a team (75.7 ppg), and the ability to find scoring from four different starters makes it difficult for opponents to focus their defensive attention on one player. Not only does Penn State score, they defend (4th in conference in allowed ppg) and rebound your misses (1st in total rebounds/defensive rebounds) so you better make your first shot count, because you aren't getting a second chance.

Ohio State: 24-5, No. 2 seed
Summary:  Some teams are lucky to have a Batman, others are mega-lucky to pair said Batman with a Robin, and even fewer still are super-lucky enough (Yes, for the purpose of this primer, and really, the rest of your life, I decided that super > mega for superlative purposes. You're welcome.) to pair that Batman with another Batman. Ohio State is super-lucky. The Buckeyes boast the best 1-2 offensive punch in college basketball in guard and Big Ten Player of the Year Sammy Prahalis (20.4 ppg) and 1st team all-Big Ten guard Tayler Hill (20.7 ppg). Hill and Prahalis are a big reason why Ohio State is 1st in the Big Ten in scoring, shooting percentage, 3pt shooting percentage, and assist to turnover ratio. Potent offense, Ohio State has it.


Ehh, You got a Shot!:

Iowa: 19-10, No. 3 seed

Summary: Iowa likes to share the basketball, and hit three-pointers (1st in conference in assists and three pointers made). Iowa has four different players with at least 33 three-point makes on the year, however, leading scorer (and top player) Jamie Printy has been out since January with a torn ACL, limiting the Iowa offense. The Hawkeyes have made up for her loss with decent secondary scoring (three players over 12 ppg), but they live and die by the three-ball. If they make their outside shots they can beat anyone, but they've struggled with the B10's best (1-4 against PSU, OSU, NEB and PUR). Look for their run to be competitive, but ultimately fall short.

Purdue: 21-8, No. 4 seed

Summary: Purdue is basically Iowa with a different shade of yellow. They don't have any big time wins over the conference's elite (1-4 against PSU, OSU, IOWA and NEB), but they also don't have any bad losses. They are the Big Ten's strongest team defensively, ranking 1st in defensive scoring and steals, and 2nd in field goal and 3pt shooting defense. The Boilermakers rely on Brittany Rayburn's 14.7 ppg as their offense, because nobody else on the roster averages double figures. Purdue's defense allows them to compete with anyone, but if the offense struggles, as per ushe against the conference's upper tier, they'll lose.


Wildcards:

Nebraska: 21-7, No. 6 seed

Summary: The aptly named Jordan Hooper (You see, because it's a pun, like hooper, like, um, hoops, like basketball hoops. Uh, crickets? Okay, moving on.) is one of the conferences best players, averaging 19.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg. This makes Nebraska a threat to win every single time, because she's usually the best player on the floor. The Cornhuskers are basically the definition of a wildcard, talented enough to beat anyone (wins over PSU, OSU, IOWA, PUR) but also inconsistent enough to drop games to the conference's bottom half (head scratching losses to MINN, NW and MICH). The inconsistency stems from Nebraska's shooting percentage (38%) good enough (or bad enough?) for 11th in the B10. Hooper and Co. are capable of beating anyone in this league, especially on a neutral court, but there's an equal possibility they go ice cold and get bounced first round.

Michigan State: 19-10, No. 5 seed

Summary: The defending regular season conference champions were expected to contend for a consecutive Big Ten title, however, a four game, mid-season losing streak derailed those plans. Instead, Sparty will look to win the conference tournament, a distinct possibility with this veteran group. Porsche Poole leads the way for the Spartans, averaging 13.6 ppg, but outside of Lykendra Johnson's 10.7 ppg, no one else manages more than 7 ppg, putting a lot of pressure on the senior duo. MSU is another upper crust Big Ten team with wins over the conference's best (PSU, PUR, NEB) but also brutal losses to OSU and Iowa. What Spartan team will show up to Indy? The one that lost four straight games in January? Or the one that went 11-1 the rest of the way? Like I said, wildcard.

Hey, Thanks for Making the Trip!: 

Sorry Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana--especially you Indiana, one conference win? Wow--we appreciate your membership in this fine conference, but your chances of winning this thing are basically non-existent.

The Big Ten Tournament tips off Thursday, at 11:30 a.m., and continues until a champion is crowned Sunday, at 4:00 p.m.